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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714413">The Morning Light Will Mend You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildair/pseuds/wildair'>wildair</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Assistant Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis-centric, F/M, Fourth of July, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Nice Guy OMC, Party, Stalking, but mainly via text, too much detail about party planning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:27:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildair/pseuds/wildair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy has a past, and it catches up with her at a Fourth of July party.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clint Barton/Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis/OMC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Morning Light Will Mend You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't think there's anything triggering in here but it's been in my head/sitting in my WIPs so long it might not register for me. Please let me know if you feel otherwise.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darcy shook her head as she surveyed the checklist, tapping her pen against the clipboard as she moved down the items. No wonder Pepper was so great at running Stark Industries -- heading up a company kind of seemed like a giant version of the extravagant parties Tony insisted on throwing, particularly for the Fourth. Apparently it was a snide “fuck you” to the military industry that had made his life so difficult once SI had stopped manufacturing weapons; instead of guns, he turned all that firepower to the sky with a legendary show of fireworks, some of which he’d designed himself. </p>
<p>The fact that Tony was having his annual 4th of July blowout at the mansion upstate meant dozens of extra bodies coming and going, catering and housekeeping and the fireworks guys and who knows who else. Pepper, probably, but she’s the only one who could keep track of all that. Darcy was in awe of the woman’s organizational skills, and she was taking every chance she could get to learn from the PA-turned-CEO. Darcy had been working for Stark Industries for a little over a year, assistant to the assistant VP of HR, so she got to see the great Pepper Potts in action a fair amount.</p>
<p>Darcy had gotten pulled into the party planning because of her connections with Thor and Clint; Pepper had arranged for her to work from the mansion for a week before the party so she could help oversee some of the on-site logistics leading up to the event. It was a lot like the old days working with Jane, actually, accepting deliveries and getting people where they needed to be and making sure everyone had food and water and a steady power-and-internet supply.</p>
<p>It was... kind of awesome, honestly, being at the mansion that long. Especially with Clint’s suite just down the hall. On her previous few visits, she’d stayed in his suite but Darcy had insisted on having her own room while she was on the clock. She was taking a week’s vacation starting July 5, though, and she and Clint were both eager for her to get back where she belonged.</p>
<p>They’d danced around each other for a couple years after the whole thing in New Mexico, texting occasionally and hanging out whenever she tagged along with Jane to the city. Even after she moved to New York it still took a few months for them to get it together and make it official. She’d dated a few guys since she arrived -- Chad, and Mike, and another Mike, and Ryan -- but once she and Clint fell into bed together for the first time (after the first time in New Mexico), she was gone on him for good. </p>
<p>She’d admitted to Clint that she’d been dating around -- but not sleeping around -- and he said that was fine but he didn’t want to hear about it, especially once she assured him that she wanted to be monogamous. She’d broken things off with Ryan at that point, and both of the Mikes wished her luck when she said she’d gotten serious with someone. Something about Chad, though -- he’d made her nervous even when they were just chatting, and they’d never gotten past the first chaste couple of kisses, but he seemed so into her. She couldn’t deny it was flattering, but once she’d decided it wouldn’t work she also just wanted him to leave her alone. Ghosting was definitely the coward’s way out but she took it anyway.</p>
<p>In hindsight, she should have seen it coming. Or at the very least, not have been so goddamned surprised that he’d found her.</p>
<p>She’d been too free, too easy, with Chad, flirty and open and, god, she’d sent him a picture of her tits before they even met in person. She broke it off after a couple dates, and when he’d called her on ghosting him she just ignored the text and deleted his contact information.</p>
<p>She still got occasional texts from him, innocuous enough things -- “hope ur doing well,” and “What ru up to” and “sorry to bother, I’d missed seeing you.” They were rare enough that she didn’t feel like she needed to block him, just once a month or so, but she always cringed when his number popped up on her screen. Okay, maybe the messages had been coming a little more often, as they approached the one-year mark since she’d broken things off with him, but she figured he’d get the hint eventually. She kind of wanted to tell Clint, but she didn’t want him to think she was, like, keeping someone on the back burner. And he’d made it pretty clear he didn’t want to talk about their pasts; some half-asleep post-coital murmurings about Bobbi and Jessica gave Darcy enough of the picture that she didn’t press for more details.</p>
<p>So life was good. Great, even. A job she loved, a boyfriend she loved, half an apartment split with a roommate who worked nights, and all that stood between her and vacation was 24 hours and a hell of a party. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>She was up early on the fourth, having kicked Clint out of her bed in the wee hours of the morning so she could get some sleep. He’d grumbled a bit, but he’d kissed her sweetly before pulling the covers up over her shoulders and slipping out to his own suite. Darcy made a beeline for the coffee pot in the communal guest kitchen and downed a cup of the super-strong brew before her waffles had finished toasting. She didn’t linger over breakfast, just scarfed down the waffles and a yogurt cup before refilling her giant travel mug and heading over by the pool house to begin the final preparations.</p>
<p>Most of the work was out of her hands by now, and she was just standing in the giant tent, clipboard in hand, watching people scurry around. The caterers were setting the tables: linens, flowers, candles, utensils, individual pieces coming together to make a display that was somehow rustic and glamorous all at once. Pepper was probably one of those lifestyle bloggers on the side, recipes and holistic medicine and sex tips for the discerning rich woman -- no one else could come up with the perfect mix of casual and classy and just a little over the top. </p>
<p>There were gardeners gardening and landscapers landscaping and Darcy didn’t know the technical term for the half-dozen people stringing up lights around the party area but they were doing their thing too. They were part of the entertainment company, and a couple of them would be on call during the event to handle any of the technical stuff, including the DJ setting up his equipment on a temporary stage they’d installed by the back fence. A couple of golf carts were ferrying crew members around the grounds, and Darcy sure as shit hoped the security guards stationed at the front gates were doing their job because it suddenly felt like a lot of strangers had access to a lot of formerly private spaces. Carlos and Joaquin and Yolanda were still running the show as far as groundskeeping and pool maintenance went, but they’d been authorized to hire whatever additional staff they needed to get the campus ready for the party.</p>
<p>Pepper had already laid out contingency plans for most of the facility, so Darcy tried to tamp down her anxiety. Poughkeepsie was only 20 minutes away, for anyone who didn’t have their own properties upstate, but there were a few rooms set up for guests who overindulged and shouldn’t travel. Those rooms were in the outbuildings, two in the pool house and two in the gardener’s cottage, so the team’s safe spaces should remain secure except for event staffing who needed access to the main building. She just knew how much Clint and the others valued their privacy, and she wondered how the team felt about strangers traipsing through the common spaces.</p>
<p>It’s not your call, she mused as the florist came up to finalize the delivery. Darcy glanced through the inventory sheet, double-checked it against her order form, and signed with a flourish. They were on track to have everything set up by four; the caterers would take the floral displays out of refrigeration at the last minute so nothing would wilt in the heat. </p>
<p>The industrial kitchen in the main building had been bustling for a couple days already, as the caterers brought in their supplies and ingredients. Considering the menu was brats and burgers, she wasn’t sure exactly what all the prep entailed, but Darcy supposed feeding a couple hundred people had to be a pretty substantial endeavor so she didn’t question it too much. When she’d stuck her head in the night before, the countertops were covered in fruits and vegetables; she definitely didn’t envy whoever was in charge of chopping all that up for sides and salads.</p>
<p>Things buzzed along nicely for a few hours, the radio crackling as staff reported in from across the grounds. Every time a task was completed, Darcy made a satisfying mark on her list -- flowers, check. Valet station, check. Guest rooms, check. Bathrooms, check. Poolside bars 1, 2, and 3, check. Fireworks crew set up on the island in the middle of the Hudson, check -- she still wasn’t sure how Tony had pulled that off, but nothing he did surprised her anymore.</p>
<p>Clint and Bucky swung by around 12:30 and forced her to take a break and eat something, and Pepper arrived at 4:00 to oversee the last-minute details and give Darcy time to clean up and get herself ready. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Four hours later, the party was just starting to kick into higher gear. The main dinner service was over, although there would be food out all night, and folks were making their way to the dance floor. Darcy had indulged in one beer with her burger, but she was mostly trying to stay away from the bars since she still had party duties to manage. Clint had held off for a while in solidarity, but when Bucky dragged him over for shots, Darcy waved them off with a mix of exasperation and fondness. Lord knew they had few enough opportunities to cut loose, and the guest list had been vetted to the point that the team felt fairly comfortable relaxing around the other partygoers. And since all the event staff had had their electronics confiscated, no one was too worried about bad publicity.</p>
<p>That made it all the more strange when Darcy’s phone buzzed with a text from a number she didn’t have saved, saying how good she looked tonight. She glanced down at her retro-looking sundress, red with big white polka dots, then looked around the room, trying to find the mystery admirer. None of the guests seemed to be watching her, so she slipped her phone back into her pocket with a frown. </p>
<p>Another text came half an hour later, as she was making her way to the bathroom in the main house; despite the breeze coming off the water, she felt sticky from being outside for so long, and she wanted to catch her breath and freshen up. She debated going all the way down to her room, but it was on the other side of the building and she didn’t want to be gone too long, so she slipped into one of the hall bathrooms off the catering kitchen instead. She flipped the lock and sagged against the door for a moment, then felt the buzz reminding her that she had a new message. “It’s been 2 long... happy 4th” She set the phone down on the shelf over the sink and pondered who would be sending her messages from an unknown number.</p>
<p>Darcy frowned into the mirror as she touched up her red lipstick and smoothed back the hairs that had fallen out of her loose twist. Steve and Bucky had given her a very gratifying double-take when she’d run into them at the bar, but she kind of wished she’d gone for something lower-key for an hours-long outdoor bash. She gave herself another moment to chill out, then grabbed her phone and made her way back towards the kitchen, texting distractedly as she walked. “Who is this?”</p>
<p>The caterers were working double-duty, half of them cleaning and putting stuff away, the other half prepping the refresh of finger foods and desserts. She waited till the manager caught her eye and flashed a thumbs up with a raised eyebrow. Darcy responded with thumbs up of her own, then snagged a seltzer from the fridge and headed back outside. A couple guys wearing hats with the entertainment company logo slipped in through the door as she walked out, one of them with his head down as he thumbed at his phone. They were the only day-of staff allowed to keep their company phones on them, since they were so scattered about the premises. </p>
<p>“U don’t remember me?” Uh, no, dummy, why would I ask if I knew who you were? She rolled her eyes when the next text came through right as Clint loped over towards her and threw his arm around her shoulder. They looked out over the party from their position just beyond the edge of the yard, a little secluded but not entirely private. Darcy relished the chance to be alone with Clint for a few moments, in the shadows between the dance floor and the kitchen entrance.</p>
<p>“Everything okay?” He grabbed the can of seltzer she was holding out towards him and took a long swig.</p>
<p>“Yeah, just keep getting texts that I think are meant for someone else.” She showed him her screen, and he frowned at it and shrugged before passing the drink back over to her.</p>
<p>“It happens.” She hummed softly, still annoyed, but let him pull her into a kiss. “So, when are you officially off duty?”</p>
<p>“Party’s over at 11, but Pepper thinks most of the guests will leave after the fireworks at 9:30...so I should be done by midnight? Most of the cleanup will wait till tomorrow, I think just the caterers and the sound and light guys will do their part tonight.”</p>
<p>“And Pepper’s handling the breakdown tomorrow, right? So I’ve got you all to myself?”</p>
<p>“I mean, technically Bambi is handling the breakdown, but on Pepper’s behalf, so yes.” She pressed another kiss to his mouth. “And I can’t wait.”</p>
<p>“Me either,” he said, waggling his eyebrows. “But in that case, I’m gonna go hang out with Bucky and Natasha for a little while longer. Can you stay in my room tonight?”</p>
<p>“Mm-hm. I’ll get changed and cleaned up and should be there around 12:30? I’ll text you if it’ll be later.”</p>
<p>“Okay, gorgeous.” Clint dropped one more kiss on her cheek, then slipped around the edge of the crowd to find their friends. </p>
<p>The last couple hours of the party flew by, between the ostentatious fireworks display and the crowd thinning and the surreptitious clean-up happening as the last few guests lingered. By the time Darcy got to check her phone again it was 11:45 and she’d missed half a dozen texts from that same number. Before she could read any of them, though, the catering manager called her over to ask about the uneaten food. They’d arranged to have any unopened leftovers dropped off at a food bank in Poughkeepsie, but someone from SI would handle that the next day so Darcy waved off the catering vans with a sigh and a smile.</p>
<p>The DJ had packed up and the sound guys were finishing up loading their vans when she stepped back outside; their team leader was wringing his hands nervously, and Darcy figured that couldn’t be good news, so she went to see what she could do to help.</p>
<p>“One of our guys had too much to drink,” he explained, looking suitably embarrassed. “They knew they weren’t supposed to have anything from the bars, and we’ll be letting him go when he sobers up, but Ms. Potts put him in one of the rooms in the pool house. I’m really very sorry.”</p>
<p>She tried to keep a pleasant smile on her face -- the guy clearly felt bad about his employee, and what’s done is done, so she said they’d follow up by phone once everyone had gotten some rest. </p>
<p>That meant three of the four guest rooms were occupied; two in the gardener’s cottage and one in the pool house. Darcy figured she’d make the rounds and secure those buildings before she headed inside for the night.</p>
<p>She hit the cottage first, since it was farther. The solar floodlight flashed on as she approached, triggered by her movement, although the little stakes lighting the garden path were plenty bright enough. She couldn’t decide whether she felt safer or more exposed with the glaring white light casting the rest of the grounds into darkness, and she walked a little faster to get into the cottage. Pepper (or Bambi, her executive assistant) had jotted down the details of who was staying in each room -- L. and M. Taylor upstairs, J. and K. White downstairs -- along with their contact information and their relationship to SI. Mr. Taylor was an accountant, and Ms. White worked at a day camp that was popular among Stark employees’ children. Darcy set the coffee to brew at 7 am, and left a note saying someone would be by to check on things in the morning, then flicked off the overhead lights and slipped out the french doors. </p>
<p>The solar light didn’t trigger as she made her way back towards the pool house, stopping to take off her espadrilles so she could pad barefoot across the lawn instead of following the path. She hooked the straps of her shoes over two fingers, sighing a little in relief.</p>
<p>The pool house was dark but for one window on the mansion-side of the small building, and she called out softly as she opened the glass door. “Just checking in,” she said, not wanting to disturb the wayward tech if he’d just passed out with the light on. The logbook in the kitchenette drawer read “Room 1: C. Meadows,” and Darcy studied Pepper’s notes in the dim under-cabinet lighting. “Party Down Entertainment employee #41832661. Manager has been informed. Cell: 718-555-6915.”</p>
<p>Darcy started at that, and moved to open the fridge so she could see better. That was definitely a number she recognized, although it wasn’t the one she’d been seeing on her screen all evening. Her heart started racing as she pulled up her texts. Although she’d deleted Chad’s profile as a contact, it wasn’t hard to find the regular messages she’d gotten from his number over the past year; they’d all seemed harmless enough at the time but now she couldn’t stop a shiver from rolling down her spine as she read them all together: comments on her appearance and missing her and wishing he’d run into her, questions about why she’d ended it and why she was ignoring him and why couldn’t she just answer him. She backed out to the main text screen and saw the half-dozen messages she’d missed that evening from the unknown number. The tech guys all had company phones on them, but the texts she’d gotten that night all read just like the ones from Chad’s personal number.</p>
<p>“Who is this?” she typed furiously; she wasn’t sure whether it was fear or anger making her hands shake.</p>
<p>Darcy heard a noise from the bedroom, and immediately regretted her actions -- why the fuck didn’t she call Clint first? She’d already started backing up towards the door out to the pool, phone dropping to the floor  as she fumbled to find Clint’s contact, when the bedroom door opened and a figure appeared, a hulking shadow silhouetted by the light from beyond.</p>
<p>“Hiya, Darce. Didja miss me?”</p>
<p>Looking back, she’d be hilariously embarrassed at her next words: “Siri, call Clint.” The little robot voice responded that she was calling Clint, and Darcy hoped to hell he picked up and could hear her saying she needed help in the pool house, like, now, please. Chad laughed and stepped closer, and Darcy whimpered and glanced around for a weapon. Where was a goddamn giant chef’s knife when you needed it?</p>
<p>“Listen, Chad,” she started, but he cut her off, walking closer as he spoke. He was bigger than she’d remembered, all solid shoulders and practically no neck, what with the muscles and the company-issued polo shirt. His size had been one of the things that drew her to him in the first place -- she loved feeling small and dainty -- but he clearly hadn’t been skipping arm days.</p>
<p>“Oh, so you do remember me? I wasn’t sure since you fuckin’ ignored me for a year. Thought maybe you’d respond to my new number.”</p>
<p>“I’m seeing someone --”</p>
<p>“I know, Darce. An Avenger, huh? How do you think I found you? You made it easy, sugar, working for a company like Stark, high up like that, listed on the website and everything. Your boyfriend get you the job, huh? Is that why you bailed on us?”</p>
<p>“Dude, we had like three dates, there was never an ‘us,’” she said, unable to hide the disdain in her voice. “You came on too strong, which, uh, newsflash, you’re still doing.”</p>
<p>“We had something, Darcy, and you’re just too scared to admit it,” Chad said. “You don’t just get to decide to end things!”</p>
<p>“That’s what dating is,” she cried out. “Are you kidding me right now? I don’t need your permission to break up with you, and even if I did we were never together enough that it would even be breaking up in the first place!” Where the fuck was Clint, Jesus Christ. </p>
<p>“You sent me those pictures,” he protested.</p>
<p>“There’s a million pictures of tits on the internet, that doesn’t mean anything!”</p>
<p>Chad was coming ever closer and Darcy still had nothing to use to defend herself, and damn Tony Stark for his clean lines and modern design sensibilities. They were slowly circling around the little island in the kitchenette, and she’d have laughed about the comically inept cat and mouse chase if she weren’t so terrified by the fact that she’d been stalked, because what?!</p>
<p>“We’re meant to be together, I can give you everything you want!”</p>
<p>“Great! What I want is for you to leave me alone forever!”</p>
<p>“You know what I mean, Darce!”</p>
<p>“Ohhh my god,” she said, exasperated, rounding on him and causing him to back up in alarm. “Get it through your thick skull, Chad, that I’m not interested and you’re not a nice guy and this is super fucking creepy.”</p>
<p>She kept advancing towards him, finally spotting the shoes she’d dropped on the couch on her way in and darting over to grab them. “Security is on the way and you’re gonna get fired and probably arrested, and you deserve it, and if you don’t go back in your room and wait for the police I will hit you with my shoe.”</p>
<p>Chad’s face was a mixture of distraught and enraged, and his mouth twisted into a sneer as he started to speak. “Listen, Darce--”</p>
<p>“You heard the lady,” Clint interrupted, and Darcy would have cheered if she weren’t so focused on making sure Chad didn’t try to come closer. </p>
<p>“Thank fuck,” she breathed out as she darted over to stand behind her boyfriend. Look, she was a strong, capable woman but there was no need to be stupid. Clint’s muscles were way nicer than Chad’s. </p>
<p>“Who are you?” Chad sneered.</p>
<p>“Darcy’s boyfriend, world’s greatest marksman.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, where’s your weapon then?”</p>
<p>Clint scoffed. “Buddy, I could take you out with my bare hands. The police are on their way, so why don’t you just sit tight, save yourself any more embarrassment.”</p>
<p>“What are you gonna do if I don’t?”</p>
<p>“Fuckin’ lunkhead,” Darcy muttered under her breath, then spoke more loudly so Chad could hear. “Dude, you already know that the guestlist tonight was, like, all superheroes. You really think you could beat even one of them? I’m not interested. I haven’t been interested in a year, hence the not responding to your texts. I’m definitely getting a restraining order. What are you trying to prove here?”</p>
<p>Despite her tough-girl speech, Darcy still startled when she heard movement behind her. Bucky offered her an apologetic half-smile as he and Natasha slipped into the pool house. Chad made a choked-off noise when Bucky’s metal arm glinted in the lights, and Natasha rolled her eyes as she told Clint it was all clear.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he said, folding his arms across his chest, “just this asshole who thought he could weasel his way back into Darcy’s life.”</p>
<p>Much as she enjoyed watching those muscles flex, Darcy wished he’d wrap her up in his arms instead. He hadn’t touched her since he came in, and she could tell her adrenaline high was wearing off rapidly. She just wanted to be held, dammit.</p>
<p>“Lotta fuss over nothing,” Natasha said, glancing at Darcy shrewdly; she couldn’t help but cower under the other woman’s stare, and she’d have apologized if she weren’t so shaky all of a sudden. Bucky seemed to realize she was struggling, and he tugged her over to the chaise in the corner while Clint and Natasha loomed over Chad, who’d become docile as soon as he realized he was in over his head.</p>
<p>Bucky fussed over her for a few minutes as more people entered the pool house: Tony and Pepper, Sam and Steve, Bambi leading half a dozen officers from Poughkeepsie PD who were obviously just there for a chance to rub elbows with the Avengers. Darcy tried gamely to put everyone off and downplay the incident, especially once a couple officers carted Chad off with his hands cuffed behind his back. She didn’t really want to spill the beans about her dating life in front of all Clint’s friends and her boss. Pepper, bless her heart, tugged Tony, Sam and Steve outside to make small talk with the police. Bambi followed, and Darcy saw Clint nod Natasha and Bucky out the door as well. </p>
<p>He leaned against the counter in the kitchenette, across the room from where Darcy sat with two detectives, but she could feel his eyes on her the whole time she made her statement, confirmed she wanted to press charges, asked about a restraining order. The cops were being assholes about the whole thing, especially when she admitted she’d sent Chad half-nude pictures of herself. The older one suggested she was just trying to cause drama, saying they typically didn’t get called in for lovers’ quarrels. She was getting flustered and she could hear her voice rising in pitch as she tried to defend herself, tears springing to her eyes in a mix of embarrassment and frustration, and finally Clint stepped in. His voice was low but pleasant when he suggested they finish up at the station the next day, and that seemed to snap the officers out of it. The younger one had the grace to look guilty as Clint ushered them out the door, and he stood there silently till Bambi led the officers back around to the driveway to leave. </p>
<p>The rest of the gang lingered, obviously staring at Darcy where she still sat inside the pool house; finally, Natasha loped over to Clint and they had a quiet discussion for a few moments before she rounded everyone up and left Clint and Darcy alone. Her head was pounding and she was thirsty and scared and embarrassed and totally taken aback by Clint’s quiet, “What the hell was that?”</p>
<p>She shot him a confused look, surprised by the anger in his voice. “What?”</p>
<p>“This guy’s been hassling you for a year and this is the first I hear of it?”</p>
<p>“Clint, I--” she faltered, not knowing how to end the sentence. “Are you really mad at me right now?”</p>
<p>Confusion and concern flickered across his features, and he seemed to catch himself.</p>
<p>“Shit, Darce, no. I’m mad at that... douchebag,” he spat out, “and at myself, but not you. C’mere.”</p>
<p>He was already coming towards her, arms outstretched, and she rose up to let him pull her into a long, tight embrace.</p>
<p>“Why are you mad at yourself?”</p>
<p>“I should have -- I should have known about this asshole. I should have been there to protect you instead of off drinking with Barnes, guy can’t even get drunk.”</p>
<p>Darcy tugged Clint back over to the couch, shoving gently till he sat down and she could arrange herself half in his lap. She tucked her head under his chin; they’d always found it easier to have difficult conversations if they didn’t have to actually look at each other. Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest, but it was better than avoiding the issues altogether. She stared at the shoes she’d left sitting on the cushion during her interrogation by the officers.</p>
<p>“But that’s on me, right? For not telling you about the texts. So you can’t be mad at yourself.”</p>
<p>“What, so you want me to be mad at you?” She could hear the teasing in his voice, but he squeezed her a little tighter to make up for it. </p>
<p>“I’m just saying! Let’s only be mad at Chad.”</p>
<p>“Deal.” Clint pressed a kiss to her temple. </p>
<p>“I thought it was going to be a tough conversation,” she admitted, turning to look up at him. “That was easy.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I saw you hiding there. We do need to talk about your weapon of choice,” Clint dangled a shoe in front of her by its strap, “but that can wait till at least tomorrow.”</p>
<p>She shook her head, biting back a yawn. “After vacation. Tomorrow we’re sleeping in.”</p>
<p>“I already moved your stuff into my room, sweetheart. Up you go, come on.” He shifted her off his lap, but as soon as he stood up he scooped her back into his arms bridal-style, then snagged her shoes off the couch.</p>
<p>“I can walk, you know,” she said lightly, already settling into his arms for the short walk across the grounds.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but you’re gonna let me take care of you now since I couldn’t before.”</p>
<p>She stretched her neck to peck his cheek. “Whatever makes you feel better, babe.”</p>
<p>“And we’re changing your phone number.”</p>
<p>“No deal.”</p>
<p>“Bet I can convince you,” he said, already nibbling at her ear.</p>
<p>As he carried her through the door to the mansion, Darcy giggled. “I look forward to letting you try.”</p>
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